Rail-joint.



A. KURZAWSKEY.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

(Jwoewlioz 61 Hanna ALBERT K'URZAWSKEY, OF NAN'IICOKE, PENNSYLVANIA. v

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 29, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 646,747.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT KUnzAwsKnY,

citizen of the United States, residing at 'Nanticoke, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ra'il'joints, and has as a main object to provide an improved rail joint which shall support the weight of passing wheels without sagging, thereby maintaining a level track.

A further object is to provide a rail joint, the abutting ends of which can be easily and securely locked thus preventing the rail ends from swinging out of line.

Another object is to provide an interlocking rail joint which shall be rigid, strong and not liable to creep.

A still further object is to provide an interlocking rail joint, the construction of which is such. as to form a continuous unbroken tread surface and thus make it possible to use the rails as an electric conductor.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion and minor details of construction may he resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

F or a fullunderstanding of the invention and the merits thereof reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in Which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved rail joint shown in'relation to the cross ties; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2. of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4t is a perspective view of the end of a rail section showing the tongue and socket construction; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the locking device; Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing a second method ,of locking the joint.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawin%by the same reference characters.

eferring to the drawing, letters A and B designate two abutting. rail sections, the adjoining ends of which are oil'set and extend downwardly below the plane of the rail base, thus strengthening the rail at this point and forming inclined shoulders I which are positioned between the adjacent cross ties and bear against or bite into the upper corners of said ties,'thus tending to prevent longitudinal creeping \of the rails. A rigid connection between the rail sections is formed through a scarf joint 2 which embodies co-acting overlapping tongues 3,

substantially triangular in cross section, and

disposed longitudinally of the rails. The inner vertical face 4 of each tongue includes the vertical axis of the rail and is prbvided intermediate its ends with a preferably semi-cylindrical vertical groove 5, the funct-ion of which will be referred to later. The scarf joint further embodies sockets 6 adapted to receive the tongue 3 of the opposite rail section, said sockets being posltioned adjacent to the tongues 3 and disposed longitudinally of the rail. The inner wall of the socket is provided with a vertical groove 7 adapted to register with the groove 5 when the tongue enters the socket, there being an aperture 8 in the rail base which communicates with the grooves 5 and 7 to permit the passagev of a locking device 9. This locking device embodies apin secured to a transversely disposed plate 10 which is provided with angularly extending flanges 11, preferably formed of pliable material so that when the pin 9 is inserted in the rail base at S and moved into engagement with the registering grooves 5 and 7 of the tongue 3, and the wall of the socket 6 respectively, the parts may be held firmly in assembled position by bending the flanges 11 to embrace the rail base, thereby securing the pin 9 and locking the joint. Even though the pin should be tampered with and removed the rail joint would still be secure because of the internal engagement of the rails, aided by the abutment of the shouldersl against the upper corners of the cross ties T.

Attention is here directed to the fact that improved rail joint makes it possible to turn each rail end for end, thus exposing both sides of the rail tread to wear and doubling ferred embodiment of the invention, it is not desired to limit the construction thereto as the locking of the rail sections might be done in the manner shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing in which B is the rail section containing the socket in which is inserted the tongue 3 of the opposite rail section which is secured 'in placeby' the transverse pin or locking device 9*.

Having thus described the is claimed as new is:

1. In a rail joint, the combination of mating rail sections each provided with a longitudinally extending tongue and socket, each tongue and socket being provided with a invention, what keyway positioned ,intermediate the ends thereof partly in the socket wall and partly in the tongue, .and a plate provided with a vertically disposed pin for insertion in the keyway, said plate having angularly disposed flanges adapted to be bent into engagement wit-h the said'rail base oneach side thereof.

2. In a rail joint, the combination of mat ing rail en'ds, means for securely joining said ends, and a depending enlargement formed on the mating rails and having inclined terminals, said enlargement being adapted to fit between the adjacent cross ties with the inclined terminals bearing against the ties to prevent longitudinal gnovement of the rails.

3. In a rail joint, the combination of mating rail ends, each having the base near the end ofiset and pressed downwardly between the adjacent cross ties to form shoulders adapted to bear against said ties, and a tongue and socket formed on each rail end for engagement with a socket and tongue formed on the adjacent rail end.

4. In a rail joint, the'combination of mating rail ends each having enlargements which extend in a plane below the plane of the rail base and positioned between the adjacent cross ties to form shoulders adapted to bite into the corners of the ties, and a tongue and socket formed on each rail end the base of the'rails on each side thereof.

6. Ina rail oint, the combination of mating rail ends each having enlargements which extend in a plane below the rail base and each provided with sockets one wall of each socket being extended longitudinally beyond the end of the adjacent rail section to form a tongue adapted to enter the socket in the mating rail, said tongue and socket being provided with registering grooves intermediate the ends thereof, and fastening devices seated in said grooves and provided with anges extending transversely across the base of the rails at the enlargement thereof and having the ends thereof adapted to be bent to converge and embrace the rail base on either side thereof.

7. In a rail joint, the combination of mating rail ends each having a socket. one wall of each socket being extended longitudinally 'to form a tongue gradually increased in width from top to bottom thereof and adapted to enter the socket in the mating rail, the free end of each tongue being provided with a flat vertically disposed face for contact with the adjacentwall of the socket, and means for engaging the overlapping ends of the rail sections for holding the lat ter in assembled position.

8. In a railroad track, the combination with the rails thereof, of enlargements depending from said rails and adapted to enter the space between adjacent cross ties with the ends of the enlargements in engagement with the ties to prevent longitudinal movement of the rails.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT KURZAI VSKEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3. 

